Quasar lets you run windowed apps on your jailbroken iPad

A new app from Pedro Franceschi called Quasar allows iPad users to run windowed versions of applications on the iPad. Quasar allows for greater multitasking by shying away from Apple’s focus on full-screen apps and judging from the video below, it appears to work seamlessly.

Quasar allows the user to resize app windows, go in and out of full screen mode and rotate the orientation of apps with ease. Windows can be rearranged on the screen to the user’s liking, similar to widgets on an Android device. The program would seemingly work best with iPhone apps that aren’t yet optimized for the iPad’s large screen like Instagram and Spotify.

The catch (isn’t there always a catch?) is that you need a jailbroken iPad to use Quasar. As VentureBeat notes, jailbreak hacks have traditionally led to many features that Apple ultimately includes in future OS updates. Noteworthy services and features include folders and a unified notification system, both implemented by the hacker community well before Apple got around to it.

That said, it’s pretty unlikely that Cupertino will follow suite with a similar feature as it would seemingly undermine the whole full-screen app experience. Additionally, one has to question if running multiple apps simultaneously on the same screen will have any adverse effects on the tablet’s performance.

If your iPad is of the jailbroken variety, Quasar can be yours through the Cydia Store for $9.99.